Abstrict A regenerable desiccant cartridge for an automotive muffler including
a tubular wire mesh sleeve containing adsorbent and having opposite
end portions, an elongated metal base plate extending the entire
distance of the sleeve and having end portions crimped over the
open ends of the sleeve, the base plate also including rounded corners.
Claims What is claimed is:
1. A regenerable cartridge for an automotive muffler having an
exhaust gas conduit therein comprising a tubular wire mesh sleeve
having opposite end portions, adsorbent material provided in said
sleeve, an elongated metal base plate for attachment to said conduit,
opposite end portions on said base plate, means for fixedly securing
said opposite end portions of said sleeve to said opposite end portions
of said base plate for causing said sleeve to lie in contiguous
relationship to said base plate and stabilize said sleeve against
distortion.
2. A regenerable cartridge for an automotive muffler as set forth
in claim 1 including means on said base plate for securing said
base plate to said exhaust gas conduit of said automotive muffler.
3. A regenerable cartridge for an automotive muffler as set forth
in claim 2 wherein said securing means comprise central portions
on said end portions of said base plate for receiving a weld.
4. A regenerable cartridge for an automotive muffler as set forth
in claim 1 wherein said means for fixedly securing said opposite
end portions of said sleeve to said opposite end portions of said
base plate comprise crimped portions on said end portions of said
base plate.
5. A regenerable cartridge for an automotive muffler as set forth
in claim 4 wherein said base plate has rounded corners.
6. A regenerable cartridge for an automotive muffler as set forth
in claim 4 wherein said opposite end portions of said sleeve comprise
ragged sharp cut edges, and wherein said crimped portions enclose
said ragged sharp cut edges.
7. A regenerable cartridge for an automotive muffler as set forth
in claim 6 wherein said crimped portions are fabricated by turning
over extreme outer end portions of said base plate onto adjacent
portions thereof and confining said ragged sharp cut edges of said
sleeve therebetween.
8. A regenerable cartridge for an automotive muffler as set forth
in claim l wherein said elongated metal base plate includes perforations
therein for permitting hot exhaust gases from said exhaust gas conduit
to flow therethrough.
9. A regenerable cartridge for an automotive muffler as set forth
in claim 8 wherein said means for fixedly securing said opposite
end portions of said sleeve to said opposite end portions of said
base plate comprise crimped portions on said end portions of said
base plate.
10. A regenerable cartridge for an automotive muffler as set forth
in claim 9 wherein said base plate has rounded corners.
11. A regenerable cartridge for an automotive muffler as set forth
in claim 9 wherein said opposite end portions of said sleeve comprise
ragged sharp cut edges, and wherein said crimped portions enclose
said ragged sharp cut edges.
12. A regenerable cartridge for an automotive muffler as set forth
in claim 11 wherein said crimped portions are fabricated by turning
over extreme outer end portions of said base plate onto adjacent
portions thereof and confining said ragged sharp cut edges of said
sleeve therebetween.
13. A regenerable cartridge for an automotive muffler as set forth
in claim 1 wherein said elongated metal base plate has concave longitudinal
edges.
14. A regenerable cartridge for an automotive muffler as set forth
in claim 13 wherein said means for fixedly securing said opposite
end portions of said sleeve to said opposite end portions of said
base plate comprise crimped portions on said end portions of said
base plate.
15. A regenerable cartridge for an automotive muffler as set forth
in claim 14 wherein said base plate has rounded corners.
16. A regenerable cartridge for an automotive muffler as set forth
in claim 14 wherein said opposite end portions of said sleeve comprise
ragged sharp cut edges, and wherein said crimped portions enclose
said ragged sharp cut edges.
17. A regenerable cartridge for an automotive muffler as set forth
in claim 16 wherein said crimped portions are fabricated by turning
over extreme outer end portions of said base plate onto adjacent
portions thereof and confining said ragged sharp cut edges of said
sleeve therebetween.
18. A regenerable cartridge for an automotive muffler as set forth
in claim 7 wherein said base plate has rounded corners at opposite
ends of said crimped portions.
19. A regenerable cartridge for an automotive muffler as set forth
in claim 12 wherein said base plate has rounded corners at opposite
ends of said crimped portions.
20. A regenerable cartridge for an automotive muffler as set forth
in claim 17 wherein said base plate has rounded corners at opposite
ends of said crimped portions.
Description BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a regenerable desiccant cartridge
for an automotive muffler.
By way of background, regenerable desiccant devices for mufflers
are known. One type over which the present cartridge is an improvement
comprises a tubular wire mesh sleeve containing desiccant pellets.
This sleeve is cut from elongated wire mesh tubing of indeterminate
length and thus the ends of the sleeve contain the sharp jagged
ends of the wire mesh. Each open end of the sleeve is closed by
sandwiching it between two strips of metal and welding them to each
other by a series of spot welds. However, the sharp ends of the
wire of the sleeve extend outwardly beyond the metal strips. In
addition, the metal strips each have four sharp corners which can
punture the sleeves of other cartridges with which they are stored.
Furthermore, the jagged ends can cause cartridges to catch on each
other. Additionally, the sleeves are extremely flexible, and thus
there is no fixed length of the cartridges which permits them to
be fastened to mufflers by automated equipment. It is with overcoming
the deficiencies of the foregoing type of desiccant cartridge that
the present invention is concerned.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is one object of the present invention to provide an improved
regenerable desiccant cartridge for an automotive muffler which
is of fixed length and sufficiently rigid so that it can be handled
by automated equipment.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved
desiccant cartridge for an automotive muffler which does not contain
sharp corners which can puncture other cartridges with which it
may be stored or which can cause injury to personnel handling such
cartridges.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved
desiccant cartridge for an automotive muffler which does not have
sharp jagged wires protruding therefrom. Other objects and attendant
advantages of the present invention will readily be perceived hereafter.
The present invention relates to a regenerable cartridge for an
automotive muffler having an exhaust gas conduit therein comprising
a tubular wire mesh sleeve having opposite end portions, adsorbent
in said sleeve, an elongated metal base plate, opposite end portions
on said base plate, means for securing said opposite end portions
of said sleeve to said opposite end portions of said base plate
for causing said sleeve to lie in contiguous relationship to said
base plate and stabilize said sleeve against distortion.
The various aspects of the present invention will be more fully
understood when the following portions of the specification are
read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a plan view of an automotive muffler, partially broken
away, and showing the improved regenerable desiccant device mounted
on one of the internal pipes in the muffler;
FIG. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged view of the regenerable desiccant
device mounted on the pipe within the muffler;
FIG. 2a is a fragmentary plan view showing the ragged sharp edges
of the wire mesh tubing before it is fastened to the base plate
of the regenerable desiccant device;
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken substantially
along line 3--3 of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken substantially
along line 4--4 of FIG. 2;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the regenerable desiccant device
of the present invention;
FIG. 5a is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken substantially
along line 5a-5a of FIG. 5 and showing the end of the sleeve confined
by the crimped end of the base plate;
FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view taken substantially along line
6--6 of FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a modified form
of base plate; and
FIG. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of still another form
of base plate.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The improved regenerable desiccant device 10 of the present invention
is shown in FIG. 1 within cutaway housing 11 of muffler 12 having
a plurality of conduits 13 14 15 17 and 19 therein. Housing 11
includes end plates 20 and 21. It also includes internal plates
22 23 and 24. Internal muffler conduits 13 14 and 15 have perforations
25 therein through which exhaust gases flow. The ends of conduits
13 14 and 15 are open, as are the ends of conduit 17. One open
end of perforated conduit 15 is in communication with muffler inlet
conduit 27 and one open end of perforated conduit 13 is in communication
with conduit 19 which has an end portion 29 for attachment to a
tail pipe. The opposite ends of conduits 13 14 and 15 are supported
on plates 22 and 23. The opposite ends of conduit 19 are supported
on plates 21 and 24. Conduit 17 which has open ends, is supported
on plate 24. The inlet conduit 27 extends through plate 20.
The improved regenerable desiccant device 10 is mounted on internal
perforated muffler pipe 14 for adsorbing corrosive moisture from
the inside of muffler casing 11 when it cools down. When the muffler
heats up due to passage of automotive exhaust gases therethrough,
the desiccant pellets 29 carried by device 10 will be regenerated
and thus prepared for a subsequent moisture adsorbing function.
The improved regenerable desiccant device 10 includes an elongated
metal base plate 30 which carries a tubular wire mesh sleeve 31
which contains desiccant pellets. These pellets are preferably molecular
sieve, but they may be any suitable adsorbent. Sleeve 31 is cut
from an elongated tubular wire mesh member of indeterminate length.
During this cutting, the cut ends 32 (FIG. 2a) of the individual
wires of the mesh sleeve constitute sharp projections or, stated
otherwise, the ends of the sleeve 31 are sharp and ragged. In accordance
with one aspect of the present invention, the end portions 33 of
base plate 30 are crimped by folding over the extreme end portion
34 of each end of base plate 30 onto the adjacent portion 35 to
confine the ragged ends 32 of the wire therebetween. This prevents
such ragged sharp ends from cutting people who handle the cartridges
10 and also prevents the cartridges from catching on each other
when they are transported in bulk.
The corners 37 of cartridge 10 are rounded, and thus when they
are transported in bulk, there are no sharp edges which can puncture
the wire mesh sleeves 31 of cartridges with which they are packed.
The base plate 30 is rigid and thus stabilizes the sleeve and permits
the cartridge 10 to be handled by automated machinery for attaching
it to conduit 14 as by spot welding at 39. The base plate 30 of
cartridge 10 also permits attachment by automation because it provide
a fixed length to the cartridge and also prevents undesired twisting
of the sleeve.
A modified base plate 30a is shown in FIG. 7. This base plate is
identical in all respects to base plate 30 of the preceding figures
except that it contains a plurality of perforations 40 for permitting
circulation of exhaust gases therethrough. In this respect, as can
be seen from FIG. 6 the unperforated base plate 30 does not obstruct
substantial portions of the underside 41 of mesh sleeve 31. However,
base plate 30a provides still more opening to the underside of the
mesh sleeve 31 in contiguous relationship thereto.
In FIG. 8 a further modified base plate 30b is shown. The base
plate 30b is identical in all respects to base plate 30 except that
its edges 42 are concave to provide greater exposure to the underside
41 of sleeve 31.
It can thus be seen that the improved regenerable desiccant cartridge
of the present invention is manifestly capable of functioning in
the above described manner and achieving the above enumerated objects,
and while preferred embodiments of the present invention have been
disclosed, it will be understood that the present invention is not
limited thereto but may be otherwise embodied within the scope of
the following claims. |